The tagline for Walt Disney World suggests that it’s the Most Magical Place on Earth. Disney’s marketing team plays up this fact, and loyal fans are hard-pressed to argue the point. Literally every second at the parks, something amazing happens, an unforgettable moment that a person remembers fondly many years after the fact. Exactly how do we define those moments? Well, everyone’s criteria are slightly different. I certainly have strong opinions on the subject. Here are my picks for the Most Magical Things at Walt Disney World.
Arriving at the Magical Express
Image: DisneyWhen your plane touches down, you’re almost ready to start your trip. The moment that you truly believe that you’re starting your Disney vacation is when you get onboard the Magical Express. You’ll watch the videos and feed off the energy from the other travelers. The Magical Express is a bus ride with only one destination: the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Biting into the Grey Stuff the first time
One of the best parts of a Disney visit is that you get to recreate magical moments from the movies. You can eat at Tony’s Town Square and nuzzle a meatball over to your date, or you can shrink down to the size of a toy at Toy Story Land. My personal favorite is biting into the Grey Stuff. As the song indicates, it is delicious. Plus, it causes me to want to sing the song, Be Our Guest. That’s exactly what a Disney theme park visit should do.
Boarding the monorail
Image: DisneyWhen we talk about vehicles associated with certain things, Indy Cars go with the Indy 500 and the monorail goes with Disney theme parks. No other type of transportation is as directly linked to a certain thing. When you board the monorail, you know that you are only a stop or two away from Magic Kingdom or Epcot, which means that you know that your trip is about to begin in earnest. Stepping onto the monorail stirs up so much excitement and anticipation.
Dressing up for some reason
What’s even better than recreating a Disney movie moment? It’s when you get to dress up like one. DisneyBounding has become a huge phenomenon in recent years, but I’m merely referring to it. During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you can wear a costume that closely mimics the look and style of your favorite Disney character. Alternately, you can visit during Disney Dapper Days to show off your Sunday best attire. Dressing up for Disney has become a cottage industry, and it’s always a joy to do.
Driving around on Kilimanjaro Safaris
Image: DisneyDisney’s Animal Kingdom is more than just a theme park. It’s a natural habitat for dozens of animal species. The signature attraction at this park is Kilimanjaro Safaris, which sounds a lot more involved than it actually is. You simply board a giant-sized jeep capable of plenty of guests. Then, you drive through the various lands of the many residents of Animal Kingdom. You simply can’t top the thrill of seeing a lion or zebra playing its own backyard. To them, you’re the interloper, and their casual indifference to your presence reminds you of the majestic Imagineering achievement that is Animal Kingdom.
Entering your hotel lobby
Every official Disney resort is a triumph of modern architecture. You will never appreciate this statement more than when you enter a building for the first time. You’ll enter a lobby that wholly embodies the theme that you’d expect from the resort’s name. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a rustic celebration of the great outdoors. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort captures the spirit of a South Pacific vacation with its sights and, yes, smells. And Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is home to breathtaking works of art from Disney movies. Whenever you walk into any of these resorts, you’ll truly understand the magic of Disney theming.
The first glimpse of Spaceship Earth and Cinderella Castle
Image: DisneyWalt Disney understood the value of attention-grabbing landmarks. When he built Disneyland, the path inescapably led to Sleeping Beauty Castle. With that backdrop, the world’s first themed park provided a sense of escapism. As guests approached the castle, they believed that they had stepped into a magical realm.
This behavior has a nickname, the Disney Bubble. It exists at every Disney theme park today. It’s the liberating feeling that you’ve left behind the struggles of daily life and arrived at your happy place. At Walt Disney World, you’ll never understand the Disney Bubble more than when you see Spaceship Earth or Cinderella Castle off in the distance. It’s the single moment when every fantasy that you’ve had about your vacation becomes real. You are at the Most Magical Place on Earth, and these gorgeous landmarks confirm it.
Hugging Mickey Mouse
No explanation needed.
Looking at your ride photo
Image: DisneyWhen you board a Disney ride, you get swept up in the moment. You buy into this alternate reality that Imagineers have created. You’re a pirate in the Caribbean or a space traveler on a journey to star port. The theming is so precise that you briefly accept the illusion of the story that Disney is telling. Then, you exit the attraction area and reality smacks you in the face. Your ride video reveals the reality behind the illusion. You get to see the emotions on your face at a critical moment in the ride…and it’s certain to put a smile on your face.
Receiving comments about your button
Image: DisneyWhenever you want attention or recognition at a Disney theme park, you can get it. Simply ask a cast member for a button. They have ones for Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary or even Happy First Visit! They have them for virtually any other purpose, too. Cast members can write in your celebratory event on the button. After you’ve asked them to do it, you will walk around the parks, proudly displaying your achievement. Cast members are trained to offer you well wishes, and you will feel ten feet tall when you get them. Those aren’t the best ones, though. Frequent guests have learned over the years to look for buttons. They get into act by providing their own congratulations. And there’s nothing better than when a total stranger wishes you a happy birthday.
Sharing a laugh with a stranger
Well, maybe there’s one thing. Something magical that happens at Disney is that you tend to bond with strangers. Sometimes, you do it over the course of a few minutes of standing in line. In other instances, something happens in a split second that only the two of you notice. You exchange a laugh at the hilarious, unplanned event, that magical demonstration that you’re at Walt Disney World. Then, both of you move along to the next thing. I’m convinced that Disney is where we are all the best version of ourselves and where we are the most social.
Splashdown at Splash Mountain
Image: DisneySplash Mountain delivers 10 minutes of constant silliness. The music, the sight gags, and the characters all boost morale. It’s that seminal moment when your raft points down the mountain that matters most, though. It’s when you feel that overwhelming sensation of water washing over your body, baptizing you in sogginess for the rest of the hour. The next time you’re watching people on the ride, try to find a frowning face after the splashdown. It’s an impossibility.
Watching the fireworks display at Magic Kingdom
Image: DisneyDisney park planners think of everything. From the start of the day until the last guest departs, they’re in the business of entertainment. Perhaps the greatest demonstration of this passion for excellence was the introduction of nighttime fireworks. While the name of the show has changed a few times over the years, the end result is the same.
Theme park tourists stare up at the sky and watch with wonder. To tether the explosions to something concrete, Disney adds musical accompaniment to the exhibition. In that moment, thousands of Disney fanatics are united in their love for the classic stories of their youth. Happily Ever After, the latest offering, even projects digital images on the castle to bring these touching tales to life.
